self-realization
Be Kind To Yourself And Others
The nightmare continues every day. The very thing we fear the most has come to look us right in the face, staring in our eyes. We are at a turning point. We can give up, turn run for the hills, to hide, but still there is the demon of fear lingering around the deep recesses of our mind.
This little imp taps us on the shoulder, reminding us of all the stupid things we did, all the hurtful things, how we messed up, time after time. Surely this little devil of fear tells us we can see how we don’t deserve to reach our dreams, or accomplish our goals. We messed up time again, no one agrees with us, we are reminded that “they” are so much smarter, did things exactly right every time.
Stand back! Truly look at everything from all sides. Become like an eagle, or an owl, or a hawk, with eyes that see far beyond the surface where the heart lies. Continue reading
The Twelve Archetypal Secrets Of Sacred Love
The need for true love and meaningful romance is a profound longing we all share as spiritual beings in human form. But finding the love of your life is not an easy feat in this day and age. Yes, the pursuit of romantic love is certainly not for the weak and cowardly.
I have heard many weary love pilgrims claim they have called off the search. Many even choose to believe that they no longer want an intimate relationship with anyone; they are completely content to remain single and unattached for the rest of their lives. Who needs a soulmate after all, right? The truth is that we all share a deep-seated need for affection and authentic connection with that one special mate. And deep down we all know it. Continue reading
Stay Away From Those ‘Basket Thieves’
Your hopes, your dreams, your wishes and aspirations, all of your visions for your life are stacked together in your own little basket of hope. I have one. So does my neighbor, and my best friend too. Be it in our minds, or on paper, we all have that little basket of hope. Or one could even go so far as to call it a “bucket list”. I call it my “basket of hope”. Same difference.
Recently I had the misfortune of coming across a “basket thief” – kind of like a horse whisperer or a dog whisperer, except not nearly the positive experience either one of the above can bring. A basket thief doesn’t come to you to whisper in your ear about your hopes and your dreams. They don’t even really care about your hopes and dreams. What they do care about is you putting aside said hopes and dreams in order to help them achieve theirs. Continue reading
Solitary Bliss
I like to do many things by myself – alone. I can concentrate better when I’m left to my own devices. I feel centered and complete when I’m in my own little retreat; my energy is my own and I don’t have to be disrupted in any way, shape or form.
When I am out in nature taking walks, or wanting to spend time with God in prayer, I am at my most peaceful. I like to meditate alone. I get more out of whatever I’m doing when I am doing it with just me, myself and I.
I respect those who need others to feel connected. I feel we are all on our own journeys and that is what makes us all unique. Continue reading
The Shaman’s Schmetterling In Gottsdorf
In my previous blog I shared the story of the sign I received from the ancient oracle during my visit to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Well, the magical presence of the butterfly totem did not end with my visit to Greece. In all of the other countries I was to visit on this particular European tour, I would encounter butterflies at every sacred site, and during special moments I shared with significant others.
The miracle continued when I arrived at a country inn in Gottsdorf, outside Berlin, Germany. This was to be the venue for a four day meditation seminar I was attending. The event was set to take place in a cozy Yoga studio attached to the small hotel.
The moment I entered this room, I noticed a small altar the seminar organizer had set up for the time we would be working in this space. The display was charming and colorful, but that was not what drew my attention. No, what struck me instantaneously was the large, vibrant butterfly hanging on the brick wall behind the altar.
Yes, indeed. I had received yet another mystical route marker along this personal odyssey into self-realization. This time the butterfly was not black and white, like the one who came to whisper in my ear at Delphi. Instead a brightly colored paper butterfly waved hello to me from above! It was like a psychedelic kaleidoscope reminiscent of the shapes one sometimes sees in sacred geometry art… or tie-died T-shirts from the 60s. Continue reading
Nobody Deserves To Be Happy!
Many self-help gurus will espouse the virtues, the sheer righteousness if you will, of deserving to be happy. You deserve to be happy? What does this truly even mean? (meant to be read in a most sarcastic tone of voice with a slight touch of incredulity thrown in for good measure).
I take umbrage, I cry foul to this so called deservedness. What makes you so special? For that matter, what makes me so special? None of us deserve to be happy any more so than the next guy or girl.
People, living breathing people, are being subjected to atrocities all over our planet in ways that some of us cannot even bear to think about, because we’d never sleep cozy in our beds at night if we did. Aren’t these people deserving of this ‘happiness’ also? They often times don’t experience it, because of someone else’s pursuit of happiness. Continue reading
Simple Ways To Restore Daily Balance
Every day, I try to find balance in my life and put it into action, but sometimes it is hard to do. And sometimes it’s hard to see the whole picture of what you’re wanting to do, to have that sense of happiness and well-being in your life.
I find what works best to get me back on track is to center myself mentally first, before I take on any of the daily challenges of life. I admit that I often need a pop of the good old caffeine to get my mind and body going in the morning, but experience has taught me it is much more constructive to focus on something positive at that time. Once you start looking for alternatives to get your mind going, you will be surprised at how many things are easily available for this purpose. Continue reading